Novel Strategies To Protect And Visualize Pancreatic Beta Cells In Diabetes

A common feature in the pathophysiology of different types of diabetes is the reduction of beta cell mass and/or impairment of beta cell function. Diagnosis and treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes is currently hampered by a lack of reliable techniques to restore beta cell survival, to improve insulin secretion, and to quantify beta cell mass in patients. Current new approaches may allow us to precisely and specifically visualize beta cells in vivo and provide viable therapeutic strategies to preserve, recover, and regenerate beta cells. In this review, we discuss recent protective approaches for beta cells and the advantages and limitations of current imaging probes in the field.